Heat sink

ABSTRACT

A heat sink includes a plurality of fins arranged parallel to each other. The fins include a first fin, a second fin, a third fin, a fourth fin, and a plurality of middle fins sandwiched between the third fin and the fourth fin. The first fin is at an outmost side of the heat sink. The first fin has a protrusion. The second fin is located at an opposite outmost side of the heat sink. The third fin is adjacent to the first fin. The protrusion of the first fin abuts against the third fin. The fourth fin is adjacent to the second fin and has a protrusion to abut against the second fin. The middle fins being flat with no protrusions.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The disclosure relates to heat sinks in electronics, and more particularly to a heat sink with a plurality of fins.

2. Description of Related Art

During operation of an electronic device such as a computer central processing unit (CPU), a large amount of heat is often produced. The heat must be quickly removed from the CPU to prevent it from becoming unstable or being damaged. Typically, a heat sink is attached to an outer surface of the CPU to absorb the heat from the CPU.

Conventionally, a heat sink includes a plurality of fins to dissipate the heat from the CPU to an ambient atmosphere. The fins are spaced from each other to define channels therebetween. In order to improve a thermal capability of the heat sink, the fins are manufactured thinner for easily dissipating the heat. However, the heat sink will be struck in operation and outmost fins of the heat sink will be easily damaged.

What is needed, therefore, is a heat sink which can overcome the limitations described.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is an assembled, isometric view of a heat sink in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a partly assembled view of the heat sink of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view similar FIG. 1, but showing the heat sink in another view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a heat sink 100 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure is shown. The heat sink 100 includes a number of fins 10 arranged together. Every two adjacent fins 10 define a channel 20 therebetween.

Each of the fins 10 includes a body 11 and two flanges 13. The flanges 13 extend from top and bottom sides of the body 11 respectively and perpendicularly to the body 11 along a same direction, respectively. Each of the flanges 13 abuts against the body 11 of the adjacent fin 10. The body 11 includes a first part 110 and a second part 113 extending from a left end of the first part 110. The first part 110 is substantially rectangular. The second part 113 is irregular. A bottom of the first part 110 and a bottom of the second part 113 are coplanar. A height of the second part 113 is larger than that of the first part 110.

Referring to FIGS. 2-3, the outmost fins 10 of the heat sink 100 include a first fin 10 a and a second fin 10 b at opposite ends of the heat sink 100, respectively. The heat sink 100 includes a third fin 10 c adjacent to the first fin 10 a and a fourth fin 10 d adjacent to the second fin 10 b. The first fin 10 a includes a protrusion 15 extending therefrom to the third fin 10 c and abutting against the third fin 10 c. The fourth fin 10 d includes a protrusion 16 extending therefrom to the second fin 10 b and abutting against the second fin 10 b. Each of the protrusions 15, 16 is punched respectively from a middle of an outer edge of the second part 113 of the first fin 10 a and the fourth fin 10 d. Each of the protrusions 15, 16 has a trapezoid-shaped cross section. The protrusion 15 and the flanges 13 of the first fin 10 a are located at opposite sides of the body 11 of the first fin 10 a. The protrusion 16 and the flanges 13 of the fourth fin 10 d are located at opposite sides of the body 11 of the fourth fin 10 d. The protrusion 15 includes a narrow portion 151 and two inclined portions 152 interconnecting the first fin 10 a and the narrow portion 151. The narrow portion 151 abuts against the third fin 10 c. The protrusion 16 includes a narrow portion 161 and two inclined portions 162 interconnecting the fourth fin 10 d and the narrow portion 161. The narrow portion 161 abuts against the second fin 10 b. The bodies 11 of middle fins 10 between the third fin 10 c and the fourth fin 10 d are flat with no protrusion.

Since the first fin 10 a abut against the third fin 10 c by the protrusion 15, the second fin 10 b abut against the fourth fin 10 d by the protrusion 16, middle portions of the outmost fins 10 a, 10 b of the heat sink 100 are supported and protected to avoid a damage from an outer object. Therefore, a robust structure of the heat sink 100 is provided.

Alternatively, in another embodiment, the protrusion 15 can extend from the third fin 10 c to the first fin 10 a, or the protrusion 16 can extend from the second fin 10 b to the fourth fin 10 d. An amount of the protrusions 15, 16 can be two or more. The protrusions 15, 16 can be designed at a weak portion of the fins 10 for need to intensify the heat sink 10.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of certain embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. 

1. A heat sink comprising a plurality of fins arranged parallel to each other, the fins comprising: a first fin at an outmost side of the heat sink, the first fin comprising a protrusion; a second fin at an opposite outmost side of the heat sink; a third fin adjacent to the first fin, the protrusion abutting against the third fin; a fourth fin adjacent to the second fin, the fourth fin comprising another protrusion abutting against the second fin; and a plurality of middle fins sandwiched between the third fin and the fourth fin, the middle fins being flat with no protrusions.
 2. The heat sink of claim 1, wherein each of the fins has two flanges extending from opposite sides thereof.
 3. The heat sink of claim 2, wherein the protrusions of the first fin and the fourth fin are formed between the flanges.
 4. The heat sink of claim 3, wherein the protrusions of the first fin and the fourth fin are punched from middle portions of the first fin and the fourth fin.
 5. The heat sink of claim 1, wherein each of the protrusions has a trapezoid-shaped cross section.
 6. The heat sink of claim 5, wherein the protrusion of the first fin has a narrow portion abutting against the third fin and two inclined portions interconnecting the first fin and the narrow portion.
 7. The heat sink of claim 5, wherein the protrusion of the fourth fin has a narrow portion abutting against the second fin and two inclined portions interconnecting the fourth fin and the narrow portion.
 8. A heat sink comprising a plurality of fins arranged parallel to each other, each of the fins comprising a body and two flanges extending from opposite sides of the body, the fins comprising: an outermost fin; an adjacent fin adjacent to the outermost fin; a plurality of middle fins sandwiched between the adjacent fins, the body of each middle fin being flat with no protrusion; and at least a protrusion extending from the body of one of the outermost fin and the adjacent fin to contact the other one of the outermost fin and the adjacent fin.
 9. The heat sink of claim 8, wherein the protrusion and the flanges of the same fin are located at opposite sides of the body of the corresponding fin.
 10. The heat sink of claim 8, wherein the protrusion is formed between the flanges.
 11. The heat sink of claim 8, wherein the protrusion is punched from a middle portion of the outermost fin to the adjacent fin.
 12. The heat sink of claim 11, wherein the protrusion has a narrow portion abutting against the adjacent fin and two inclined portions interconnecting the outermost fin and the narrow portion.
 13. The heat sink of claim 8, wherein the protrusion is punched from a middle portion of the adjacent fin to the outermost fin.
 14. The heat sink of claim 13, wherein the protrusion has a narrow portion abutting against the outermost fin and two inclined portions interconnecting the adjacent fin and the narrow portion.
 15. The heat sink of claim 8, wherein the protrusion has a trapezoid-shaped cross section. 